Vending machine



' Dec. 11,1923. 1,476,827

7 J. D. MENG VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR John h. meng ATTORNEY Dec. 11,1923. 1,476,827

1 J. D. MENG VENDING MACHINE Filed Jan. 19235 2 Sheets-Sheet B IIIIIIIII w l'IIIII/I 1 4- 1M v Z N M F INVENTOR 4,01 Tb. Mang ATTORN Patented Dec. ll, 1923c NHTEEE JOHN D. MENG, OF ROCEFEESTE' NEW" YORK.

VENDING MTA CHINE.

Application filed January 2, 19523.

cylindrical packages containing powdered soap.

These and other objects of this invention will be fully illustrated in the drawings, de-- scribed in the specification and pointed out in the claims at the end thereoi.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 shows a front elevation of the vending machine.

Figure 2 shows a side elevation of the vending machine with the door on the side of the machine being removed to show the operating mechanism of the machine.

Figure 3 shows a horizontal sectional view of the vending machine, the section being taken on the line 3X3X of Figure 1.

Figure 4 shows a vertical sectional view 01": the vending machine the section being taken on the line 41X-4X of Figure 1.

Figure 5 shows a vertical sectional view of the vending machine the section being taken on the line 5X-5X of Figure 3.

Figure 6 shows a transverse sectional view o1 the vending machine the section being taken on the line 6X-6X of Figure 3.'

In the several figures of the drawings like reference numerals indicate like parts.

The vending machine forming the subject matter of my present invention is especially adapted to dispense small indivdual packa es containin nowdered soa 3. These 2:) b l packages are cylindrical in shape and may be made of any material suitable for this purpose. As will be described hereinafter the vending machine is provided with a magazine in which a number of these packages can be stored and dispensed by it one at a time by a suitable mechanism that can only be operated after dropping a coin into the machine.

As illustrated in the drawings the zine and dispensing mechanism are mounted in a suitable casing 1. For this reason the casing 1 is high and narrow on the side in which the magazine is contained while the Serial No. 610,163.

part of the casing containing the opreating mechanism which is located at one side of the magazine is not so high but has a greater depth so that it projects forwardly of the part containing the magazine. The back 8 of the casing is provided with the slots 4: and 5 into which a pair of supporting hooks G and 7 are adapted to engage. These hooks are threaded into the wall on which the vending machine is to be mounted and the casing thereof is locked to these hooks by means 01": the locking rod 8 mounted on the inside of the casing near the bottom thereof. The locking rod 8 is mounted to slide in a suitable sleeve 9 mounted on the inside of the back of: the casing. When it is desired to mount the casing to the wall this locking rod is withdrawn from below the hook 7 so that this hook can be readily inserted into the slot 5 in the back 3 ol? the casing. lVhen this is done the back of the casing is allowed to slide down the inclined back of the hook as illustrated in Figure 4 so that the locking bar 8 can be moved under the hook 7 by sliding it to the left into the position illustrated in Figure 3. A handle 10 is provided on the right hand end of the locking rod with which the rod can be moved as above described and when the rod has been moved into the locking position this handle is placed between two pins 11 and 12. This prevents the locking rod from sliding out -from under the hook 7 and thus holds the hooks 6 and 7 in the position shown in Figure 4 in which the casing cannot be disengaged from them.

The magazine containing the packages is formed by a vertical duct 13 having cross sectional dimensions corresponding to the Cllill'l'lGtGI and length of the packages to be dispensed by the vending machine. Near the bottom of the casing the vertical duct 13 is enlarged to have the dispensing cylinder 1e mounted to rotate therein. This dispensing cylinder is carried on the end of the horizontal shaft 15 and supports the cylinder in line with the vertical duct 1-3 as illustrated in Figure 4:. The dispensing cylinder is iade up of a series of tour semi-cylindrical trougl'is 16, 17, 18 and 19. These troughs are grouped radially around the shaft 15 and each. of them as it is moved under the duct is adapted to receive the bottom package contained therein.

The shaft 15 carrying the dispensing cylinder projects into the enlarged portion of the vertical duct 13 from the right hand side of the casing 1 in which the Operating mechanism is mounted. This operating mechanism of which the shaft 15 forms a part is mounted in a suitable cradle 20 made up of sheet metal and having upturned flanges at the front and rear thereof with which the cradle can be supported within the casing 'on the pins 21, and 22 provided on the inside walls of the casing 1.

On the cradle 20 is mounted the upright member 23 in which the bearing for the right hand end of the shaft 15 is provided. For the left hand end and intermediate support of the shaft 15 the bracket 24 is provided. This bracket forms part of the cradle 20 and projects laterally from the left hand end of the cradle 20 with the bearing memhere 25 and 26 formed at the ends thereof. The bearing in the bearing member 26 for the right hand end of the shaft 15 is a full bearing and after the end of the shaft has been engaged. therein it cannot be lifted out therefrom except by an endwise movement of the shaft 15. The bearing in the bearing member 25 however consists of a vertical slot so that afterthe shaft 15 has been disengaged from the bearing of the bearing member 16 it can be lifted out of the slotted bearing provided in the bearing member 25. The upright member 23 in which the bearing for the right hand end of the shaft 15 is mounted has a base formed at the bottom thereof. This base is mounted to slide between the two guide rails 27 and 28 so that it can be adjusted laterally to the right position in which it is then clamped by means of the thumb nut 29. This thumb nut passes through the slot 30 provided in the base of the upright so that the base can be moved to the right or left to the correct position and then clamped in place on the cradle.

Keyed to the shaft 15 at the right of the dispensing cylinder 14 is the connecting wheel 31. This wheel is made up of apair of circular discs 32 and 33. These discs are suitably spaced apart and each of them has a series of four short radial channels 34 7 formed in one side thereof with the channels of one of the discs facing the channels of tho other disc. Each pair of the, short channels 34 located opposite to each other in the two discs of the connecting wheel thus forms a radial pocket in the connecting wheel which is adapted to receive the coin that is dropped into the vending machine.

For the purpose of holding the pockets in the connecting wheel in line with the chute 35 in the casing 1 through which the coin is inserted for the purpose of operating the machine a locking cam 36 is provided keyed to the shaft 15. This locking cam com prises a four pointedwheel against two of which points is held a leaf spring 37. This sprin is how shaped and at its intermediate part bears against and holds the locking cam in a predetermined angular position and with it the shaft 15 so that one of the pockets provided on the connecting wheel 31 is always in line with the chute 35 of the casing. The ,eaf spring is fastened at one end to the base of the cradle 20 while the other end is free to slide along the base to allow the intermediate part of the spring to be depressed by the locking cam when it is rotated as will hereinafter be described.

Loosely mounted to swing on the shaft 1:) between the locking cam 36 and the upright member 3 is the bell crank 38. One end of this bcll crank is provided with a pair of guide members 39 and 40 between which the inner end of the operating lever 4-1 may be clamped in place by means of the thumb nut 42. The other end of the bell crank carries a laterally projecting arm 43 on the outer end of which is formed three upwardly projecting prongs 4A, 15 and lo and one downwardly projecting prong 4:7.

The arm 412:5 projects over the connecting wheel. and the downwardly projecting prong 17 is adapted to project centrally botwccn the circular discs of this connecting whccl. For this reason the bell crank 38 can be rock-- ed by means of the operating arm 41 without disturbing the position of the connecting wheel as long as no coin is placed in a pocket of the connecting wheel. The downwardly projecting prong 417 is free to move between the two discs of the connecting wheel in the absence of a. coin. As soon as a coin is dropped into the machine and is located in the pocket of the connecting whccl hold in line with the coin chute the downwardly projecting prong 4'7 encounters this connecting link formed by the coin placed between the two discs of the wheel, so that on further rotation of the prong the wheel is turned with the bell. crank and given marly a quarter of a revolution on the lifting of the operat ing lever 41. During the rotation of the connecting wheel by the operating lever the shaft 15 is rotated with. it so that at one end of the shaft the locking cam 36 is turned through a correspomling angle. lluring this angular movement of the locking cam one of the points of the locking cam do presses the leaf spring 37 until this point of the cam has been moved past the vertical axis of the am when the presr'iurc of lbc spring operates to force this point of the lock cam further in the direction in which it had been turned until the following point of the locking cam rests on top of the leaf spring and arrests a further movement of the cam. During this rotation the c0nnecting wheel as well as the dispensing cylinder is advanced one quarter of a turn so that ho -:uccccding radial pocket of the connect In e'hccl and the Hl'iCCtGtlliIlQ trough of the dispensing cylinder is moved. into the position of the pocket and trough originally in line with the coin chute and the magazine respectively.

When the vending machine is set up for operation a soap package must be placed in the trough of the dispensing cylinder facing the rear of the casing 1. This is necessary because in dropping a coin into the machine as above pointed out and then operating the machine the dispensing cylinder is advanced but a quarter of a turn so that the soap package in the uppermost trough taken from the bottom of the magazine is moved to the position of the trough facing the rear of the machine while the package in the trough facing the rear of the casing is moved to the lowermost position and the trough then drops its package of soap into the chute 48 and into the pocket 49 formed at the bottom of the chute. The package thus delivered is the one purchased for the coin dropped into the vending machine.

To prevent sheet steel or iron punchings of the size an d shape of a coin from operating the vending mechanism a. magnet 50 is mounted on the inside of the casing just below and at one side of the coin chute This magnet is of the horse shoe type and is positioned above the connecting wheel so that the two upwardly projecting prongs 44, 45 and 46 pass by close to the outer and inner edges of the end of the magnet when the arm 43 is rocked on the upward movement. of the operating lever 4C1. Vi hen, therefore, a steel or iron slug is inserted intothe machine and drops down the coin chute 35 the magnet will attract it as soon as it leaves the lower end of the chute and before it has a chance to enter the pocket in the connecting wheel. On the operation of the operating lever 41 the upwardly projecting prongs of the arm 43 engage the slug from behind and force it away from the magnet without allowing it to enter the pocket in the connecting wheel. The fake coin thus knocked off the magnet drops down into the bottom of the casing without forming the proper connection between the operat ing lever and connecting wheel so that on the operation of the lever the vending machine is not actuated.

The casing of the vending machine is pro vided with a door 51 at the top of the magazine through which the magazine is filled with the packages.

A second door 52 is provided on the right hand side of the casing for the purpose of providing access to the vending mechanism. Through this door the whole of the operating mechanism may be removed from the casing and for this purpose this mechanism is mounted on the cradle 20 that is suspended from the sides of the casing by means of a sliding connection with the pins 21 and 22.

I claim:

1. In, a vc-iuling machine, the combination of a magazine, a dispensing cylinder mounted in the bottom of said magazine, an operating mechanism adapted to rotate said dispensing cylinder, said operating mechanism comprising a shaft on which said dispensing cylinder is mounted, an operating wheel carried on said shaft having a circuiar channel centrally formed thereof and, coin receiving means, a locking cam carried on said shaft, a. bell crank loosely mounted on said shaft, a laterally projecting arm carried by said bell crank, a prong formed on the end of said arm and projecting into said circular channel of said operating wheel, said prong being adapted to engage a coin dropped into said coin receiving means, and means to rock said bell crank to swing said prong against the coin and advance said wheel with said coin.

2. In a vending ma hine, the combination of a shaft, a vending cylinder mounted on one end of said shaft, a locking cam carried on the other end of said shaft, a yielding member adapted to hold said locking cam in a predetermined position, an operating wheel mounted on said shaft intermediate of said vending cylinder and said locking cam, said connecting wheel comprising a pair of discs, said dis;s formed with. radi ally extending coin receiving channels, the channels of one disc facin the channels of the other disc, a rocking arm projecting over said operating wheel parallel with said shaft, a prong formed on said rocking arm and projecting radially between, the chan nels of the two discs to move said connecting wheel through the medium of a coin dropped in a pair of said radial channels on the rocking of said arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

Jenn 1). MENG. 

